We Only Come Out At Night
by rumaru
Summary: Summary – Before their training began, before his family was destroyed, before her heart was destroyed by expectations – they had each other. Time, ambitions, tragedy, and life pulled them apart, but would their understanding from long ago help them both
1. Prologue

**We Only Come Out At Night **– A SasuHina ficlet.

**Disclaimer – **I do not own Naruto!

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The sky was dark and dotted with the occasional star as the wiry man made his way towards the waterfall, his footfalls unheard over the splashing and soft giggling in the air. It had been far too long since he had heard that particular sound and his heart skipped a beat as he found himself heading towards it.

They used to play here when they were younger, splashing his aniki and her nii-san as their parents watch from their favorite picnic spot on the hill. They were both so much happier then, no darkness plaguing their hearts as they chased each other gleefully through the grass and ignored their elders request to be careful. Nobody knew that when they were both six he had stolen her first kiss there by the rocks, where they had hidden from their older relations in a game of Hide and Seek.

His lips curved slightly as the memory of how she would blush every time she looked his way for years to come, and while neither would ever speak of it around anyone else, both of them found themselves thinking about those days before the storm. Still, thanks to his wretched older brother and her overbearing family, both found their ties sundered and their dreams ripped away.

He stood now behind a tree, watching her dance on the same rock they once plotted a future together, and found himself at peace. Nobody had to know that he had been coming her to watch her one day out of every month ever since when he ran away so many years ago, nobody would ever find out how he sat and watched her cry time and time again when her kind actions would go unnoticed or without thanks. Most of all, nobody would ever hear the words he would whisper as he guarded her while she lay sleeping, exhausted by whatever drama had plagued her day.

He marveled at how she would come here to cry and rage against the unfairness of the world around her, and yet she would always find it in her to dance. He loved how she would spread her arms as if embracing a world which had forgotten her, and twirl as if she was guiding the currents themselves. Most of all, he loved how when she was truly comfortable, she would careful set aside her inhibitions and remind him of the blushing doll from the days of a childhood he once shared with her.

He remembered the first time he watched her; it had been less than a month before he had run off. She had come to the waterfall to wash away the stains of regret after being told by his one and only rival that he did not feel the same way she did. His heart ached for the girl with the unreadable eyes, who had only ever tried to bring peace into the lives of others. He knew that she had noticed him, perched in a tree hiding from the world, and yet she went about her little ritual as of he was invisible. He saw the way she blushed, smiling as she waited until true night fell to finally show him what was so amazing about the night, and nearly fell off of his perch in the tree when she extended her milky white arms to him and invited him to join her.

Five long years, and she was his only link to the place where he grew up and the people who once claimed to love him. Every month, without fail, they would meet as the sky reached true darkness, and he would watch her until she invited him to join her. Then, they would embrace, their hearts and bodies moving through the twisting dance they had started so long ago.

Soon, she would grow weary, and he would carefully carry her to the edge of the river, laying her down so that he could watch her sleep. She would slip him a note filled with the local news and gossip, printed in her careful handwriting, and when she awoke he would have left a small token of his continued affections.

Nobody ever had to know. It was their little secret. They were as happy as when they were children, at least until the day they got caught.

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Okay, that was the Prologue of my new work in progress. Please, let me know what you think and if I should continue!


	2. Discovered

**Disclaimer – **I do not own Naruto!

Warning – Implied sexual situation

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**Discovered…**

She awoke to the sounds of rushing water and singing birds, alarmed at first to find her midsection covered by a warm, but heavy arm. She reached out, gently brushing the ebony locks from his face, surprised to realize that he had fallen asleep practically on top of her in only his pants. It took her a moment to realize that the soft white shirt she was garbed in belonged to him, and her heart swelled as she remembered what had occurred.

The events of their evening came rushing back to her in a flash, her heartbeat increasing as a soft blush filled her cheeks. They spent the hours dancing like they always did, not needing to speak in order to know what they both needed in this moment. He carefully carried her over to the rivers' edge, laying her down and tenderly kissing her. This did not surprise her, over the years they had found comfort in each others' embrace many a time, always stopping before things got too heated.

They both knew they could never take that next step, he had chosen a path upon which she could not follow, and until he was done with his quest she would wait quietly for him to realize that she had always been there for him. She knew nothing of the torment that raged inside of him when he would leave her side, his body craving to possess her completely; she only knew that she would never be whole again until he was by her side permanently.

This time however, something was different between them. He looked into her eyes in a way that made her blush; holding her far closer than ever before, his hands roaming over her curves as their bodies mimicked the flow of the river. He had no idea what he was doing to her, seeming unaware of the affect his questing hands caused in her. Her pulse raced as she kept her hands from his body, not wanting to give in to the impulses she knew were hiding inside her quickly beating heart.

Without a word he began to remove her clothing, the look in his eyes giving her all the incentive she needed to give herself over to him fully and completely. It was her first time, a fact made obvious by her questioning eyes, yet she never asked if it was his as well. Staring down at her afterwards, he found himself wishing it had been. When they finished, he dressed her in his shirt and held her close as he softly whispered in her ear. "It's over, he's dead, and the other one is no longer a concern."

She smiled up at him, his glittering onyx eyes reflecting a sureness she had not seen there before. The haunted look that he once carried from the torment he suffered so many years ago was gone, and as her fingers traced over his bare shoulders she could no longer feel the wretched mark that branded him. She could see that it was still there, but upon activating her Byakugan she no longer sensed the terribly tainted chakra bled from it before.

She gazed into his eyes, love shining through as she struggled to hide the tears she could feel coming. She was crying because she knew he was finally at peace, and in some way she knew that she contributed to that. She did not ask anything of him then, listening as he murmured softly about a few loose ends he still needed to tie up. She smiled softly, touching her forehead to his as she begged him to stay the night with her. He kissed her again, far more passionately than ever before, and held her until she fell asleep.

So it came to be that she had woken up on this lovely morning, her body pinned quite comfortably by his, wondering what had caused him to stay. If she had not been in such a state of wonderment, she might have heard the footfalls of the approaching Hunter Nins. Her partner, proving he was not as asleep as she assumed, quickly sprang to his feet and stood in front of her, holding a kunai out with red eyes blazing. The only sound for a few brief moments was the sound of their breathing, until the three people before them removed their masks with varying looks of shock on their face.

The tallest of the trio, a dark haired man with startling eyes which glittered like smoked glass betrayed no emotion just opened and closed his mouth a few times, while the blonde man smiled slowly. The third member of the group, a slight woman with pink hair, stared as if her heart was breaking into a million pieces. They recognized the man in front of then, though the years changed him in ways none could imagine.

All three of them seemed utterly confused by what they saw before them, having suspected that the recent reports of a known missing nin being spotted around this area the same time every month were referring to the Uchiha standing before them. The dark haired man broke the silence, his grey eyes showing his distress. "Hinata-sama, what is the meaning of this? How long have you been consorting with this traitor?"

All eyes on her, the pale woman stared up at her friends, her knees going weak as she found herself the object of far too much attention. She felt her legs give out, heard shouting around her, and as her world went black all she could remember was the tenderness in his eyes as he leaned forward to catch her. He knew there would be Hell to pay later, but right now all he cared about was keeping his Hyuuga safe.

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Well, there is the first official chapter. Here's hoping it didn't suck too much!


	3. Welcome Home

**Disclaimer – **I do not own Naruto, I'm just borrowing some characters for a bit.

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**  
Welcome Home**

He had followed her cousin and his two former team mates back to the small apartment where his love lived, laying her gently on her bed as they waited in the hall. He was amazed they were willing to leave him alone long enough to tuck her into her bed, but he knew that as soon as he finished they would have questions. None of that mattered now, as her brilliant eyes fluttered open and she pulled him close.

"I'm sorry about all of this…" She apologized, knowing what was in store for him now that they had been discovered. Not only was he wanted for being a missing nin and for running off to join Orochimaru, but once Neji revealed the state in which they were found she knew her father would be after Sasuke's head. "I never meant for things to become so complicated."

He gently kissed her forehead, wiping away the tears that he could see glittering in her eyes. "Hinata, I knew the risks in coming to see you month after month. Do not apologize for the inevitable. I will take whatever they throw at me, as long as I know you are waiting."

A gasp was heard from the doorway, causing both to turn and see Sakura standing there crying openly. The look she shot Hinata was one of pure hatred, while when he eyes brushed over Sasuke's shirtless form they radiated only worry dimmed by linger affection. "I didn't want to believe what we had seen before, but it's true, isn't it? How long have you two been…?"

Her voice broke off as she was pushed aside, a blonde head poking into the room. "Ne Sasuke, long time no see, and to find you with Hinata-chan, well…damn!" He was smiling broadly, the same Naruto that Sasuke remembered, but with a hardness about him that wasn't there when they were teens.

Hinata was blushing hotly, and Sasuke knew that she could not handle the scrutiny right now. "Hai dobe, I'm back, but now is not the time to discuss this. You are here to take me to see the Hokage, are you not?" He stood up, seemingly unfazed by his half naked state, and walked towards the two Hunter Nins. "Let us leave Hinata be, she has had a long night."

He allowed them to take him into custody, his heart breaking when she leapt out of bed and ran towards him with tears running unchecked down her face. He gave her a soft smile, knowing that she would do everything in her power to save him. What she didn't know was that over the past five years he would have been lost if not for her.

He watched as her cousin wrapped his arms around her, comprehension dawning on Neji's face when he saw the looks that passed between his cousin and this traitor to Konoha. He saw the way her heart was reflected in Hinata's eyes, and the tenderness that had briefly flashed in Sasuke's. He looked down at her, his eyes taking in her disheveled appearance and the strange shirt she wore, and he knew that the innocent friendship that had once existed between the Hyuuga's and the Uchiha's had now been changed forever.

Naruto and Sakura were given orders to bring Sasuke to see Tsunade-sama, making certain to avoid letting him be seen. They were all aware of the type of panic that could be caused if it was known that the only surviving Uchiha was once again back in Konoha, and took pains to conceal his return. It was bad enough the way people reacted when he left and could not be brought back, but knowing he was back now would only raise questions.

As the city slowly came alive, two separate meetings were taking place. In the meeting to start earlier, four rather tired looking people in various states of emotion sat staring at each other, nobody speaking. In the second, a family gathered together trying to understand the strange actions of their heiress, questions and accusations flying unanswered through the air.

Neji watched his cousin as she sat stiffly, wondering why she refused to defend herself as various family members verbally assaulted her with scenarios. Her father remained silent, taking a moment to restore order in the household before turning to his eldest daughter. "Hinata, speak. Tell us if what Neji saw is true. Were you indeed found with the Uchiha traitor?"

Hinata spoke quietly, detailing for her father and family a friendship that started when both she and Sasuke were children and over time grew into something more. After the murder of his family he had pushed everybody away, yet they still had that connection. Sometimes, when she felt truly alone, she would go to what was once their favorite spot by the river and wait for him. Inevitably he would show, seeking peace from his fan girls and rivals, and most of all from his nightmares. They would sit in silence, together but so separate, until one of them would reach out to entwine fingers with the other.

She told her father about how one evening, shortly after the Chunnin exams, she had gone to the river to practice and saw him there, waiting for her. He watched her going through her usual training regimen and began offering advice. He told her that fighting an opponent was similar to dancing, an art that all noble children received training in. The concept of fighting being an art form had crossed her mind before, but hearing it from Sasuke made it all so much clearer. From then on, he would help her train, starting off their sessions with a little dance practice.

After Sasuke started to get overwhelmed by the pressures of what he perceived to be failure, she was the one who he went to. They would sit in silence at first, until he would stand, taking her hand and leading her in a dance. They rarely spoke to each other, their eyes and bodies saying everything for them. He had come to her before he left, informing her of his decision and letting her knows that he would be back for her.

Then, after recounting everything leading up to last night, Hinata boldly looked up at her father and said simply. "I love him Father, I will help him rebuild his clan." The Hyuuga family reacted in different ways. Hiashi simply nodded, while Neji felt as if his world had briefly tilted off its' access. She had just revealed that she was concealing the presence of a known traitor, and after all was said and done let it be known that he had taken her virginity and she was in love with him. He had never known Hinata to be a besotted fool, so he had to assume that she knew what she was doing. Still, before anything further occurred between the Uchiha and his cousin, he would make certain to discover if the Uchiha's intentions were pure.

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Blah…for some reason I am just not pleased with this chapter. I hope it was still okay as far as providing background and such. Anyway, next chapter will feature what happens in Sasuke's meeting with the Hokage, and some actual Sasuke/Hinata interaction.


	4. Wait and Hope

**Standard disclaimer – **I do not own Naruto. However, I do enjoy borrowing certain characters and employing a bit of creative license. Somewhat OOC, hints of mature activity, definitely all SasuHina.

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Wait and Hope

Across town from the Hyuuga compound another meeting was taking place. The air was far tenser here, as four people sat staring at one young man. The smirk they had all remembered was in full force as he answered every question they threw at him, save the one question he sat there now refusing to answer.

"Why her? Why Hinata-chan? You could have had anybody Sasuke, you could have had me, but no! You left Konoha, left your team, and you came back here for _her_?" The pink-haired kunoichi was practically out of her chair lunging at the ebony-haired male before her. In the five years since they had last seen each other Sakura had certainly grown in some aspects, but apparently not at all in others.

Waving a hand in the air in order to call for silence, Godaime Hokage Tsunade-sama stood up, looking at the four people in front of her. "Well, I am at a loss for what to do with you Uchiha Sasuke. You have submitted yourself to every test to prove your loyalty and passed them all. You sit here before me speaking of how you, with the assistance of his right hand man Yakushi Kabuto, have defeated Orochimaru not two years prior, and then went and sought out your own brother to punish him for the murder of your family."

She tapped her lacquered fingernails on her desk, taking a moment to review the interrogation notes before continuing. "Looking over the reports, we have proof here that you were never truly a traitor. Through your efforts you have done more for Konoha than you have realized. Thanks to your relationship with the Hyuuga heiress you were able to leak information about a possible attack on Konoha which gave us time to prepare a counterattack. You have defeated two known enemies of the Leaf, and yet you sit here and willingly subject yourself to this proceeding instead of demanding the heroes welcome many would feel you deserve. What has happened to you, Uchiha Sasuke?"

Sasuke just smiled softly, picturing a short kunoichi with ebon locks and grey eyes smiling up at him as if he was her moon and stars. He remembered the way she held her arms out to him in the moonlight, her soft moans and sighs as she writhed and twisted underneath him and the sound of his own name falling from her tulip-shaped lips. Shrugging, he ignored the peasant stirring he could feel inside and simply looked the Hokage in her eyes, softly answered her question. "I found somebody who truly loves and believes in me."

He could hear the protests starting already, and shot a smirk in the direction of the voice. "She does not think of me as a genius or a traitor, nor has she ever thought of me as anything other than a friend. When everyone else lost their faith in me, accusing me of giving in to the darkness inside me, she was always there. She would sit and wait faithfully, never attempting to convince herself that she was better off with somebody else. Since the day I first told her of my feelings she vowed to stay by me, and she has."

When he finished speaking the silence was palpable. After a few moments Sasuke could hear Sakura start weeping softly, Naruto moving over to try and console her. He was reminded of why he had once considered his team mates weak, their inability to handle even the mildest of criticisms grating on his nerves. He felt himself growing tense, wishing that this meeting would end so that he could see her again. He knew that he would still have to deal with her family, a thought which did not thrill him but he would do it for her.

Speaking of her, he could sense a familiar chakra signature outside the door. She had come for him, with her cousin. He could sense that Neji would want to have words with him, but strangely this did not upset him. Were he in the same position he would do the same thing.

He stood up just as the soft knock was heard, smiling as she walked into the room and moved to stand by his side. Neji stepped forward, handing the Hokage a scroll bearing the personal seal of Hyuuga Hiashi. He bowed low, nodding towards Sasuke. "The Head of the Hyuuga family has asked that you present the traitor to the Hyuuga's for questioning. There is a matter of utmost importance that we wish to discuss with him."

He looked down at Hinata, taking her hand in his own as they both waited for him to be dismissed. He could tell that she was nervous, their impulsive decision to finally consummate their relationship weighing heavily on her mind. He smiled at her, enjoying the way her eyes clearly reflected her love for him. He knew as he held her close that as long as she stayed by his side they could conquer anything, even her overbearing father.

As they strolled through the streets of Konoha, her cousin leading the way, both could barely keep their hands off of each other. Neji kept glancing back secretly pleased that his little cousin found somebody who so obviously loved her. He just hoped the family would feel the same.

She spoke softly to him, telling him of the things her family had said. They were horrified to discover that she had given her prized virginity up to a traitor, but she knew the truth and would not let anything taint her image of him. He explained how thanks to Kakashi's expert spying abilities, the Hokage was aware of his actions and planned to have it declared that he never was a traitor. This would mean that he could live in peace, at least as much peace as the city of his past would afford him.

They approached the Main House of the Hyuuga compound, both of them readying themselves for what could be the hardest fight of their lives.

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Next chapter will be all about the Hyuuga's reaction and finally some relaxation for the couple, which they will definitely need after they make their first official outing. Also, I've already started work on something new for you all to enjoy, hope to get it up soon.


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